


Just Hold Me

by Kleineganz



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Comfort, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-10
Updated: 2016-11-10
Packaged: 2018-08-30 06:01:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8521201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kleineganz/pseuds/Kleineganz
Summary: Cullen has a bad withdrawal day, and Dorian goes to check on him when Cullen doesn't show for their regular chess game.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still busy working on my epic DA fic for NaNoWriMo, but I really needed some fluff so enjoy this quickie one-shot.

When Cullen awoke, he knew it was going to be a bad day just by the pounding pain behind his eyes. These days it seemed like he had more bad days than good, but he continued to persevere. The Inquisition needed him and he wasn’t about to let his troops or the Inquisitor down.

With a groan, he got up and splashed cold water on his face from the basin he kept in his loft. Then he slowly got dressed and made his way out of his loft and to the training yard to conduct his troops morning exercises.

The pounding in his head hadn’t abated by lunch time and he had little appetite, so instead of taking his mid-day meal he retreated to his loft. He climbed the ladder and shucked off his clothes so he was just down to his breeches before he collapsed on his bed, intent on taking a _brief_ nap.

***

That’s where Dorian found him, snoring loudly.

Dorian sat next to Cullen with a bemused smile on his face, watching the Commander snore into his pillow. Dorian ran his fingers over Cullen’s brow. The Commander felt slightly warm but not fevered. Cullen slowly blinked himself awake at the touch and startled slightly once he realized who had woken him.

“What are you doing here, Dorian?” Cullen asked gruffly, his voice still rough from sleep.

“You missed our chess game, Commander,” Dorian explained. “I decided to come and check on you.”

“I’m fine,” Cullen said, wincing as he tried to sit up.

“No, you’re clearly not,” Dorian replied. The mage cast a cooling spell on his palm and laid it over Cullen’s forehead.

Cullen leaned into the cool touch.

“Pounding head, right?” Dorian asked. Cullen nodded.

“I know this isn’t meant to be general knowledge, but I know you’re going through lyrium withdrawal,” Dorian confessed. Cullen’s eyes opened wide in surprise.

“It’s subtle,” Dorian continued. “However you and I have spent enough time together for me see the difference between you and the other former Templars here.”

“I stopped taking it months ago,” Cullen confessed. “When Cassandra asked me to join the Inquisition I decided I needed a clean start. I needed to leave my old life behind, and a large part of that old life was taking lyrium.”

“Something bad happened when you were a Templar, didn’t it?” Dorian stated, more than asked.

Cullen nodded. “Several somethings actually. Things that still haunt me, that will always haunt me.”

As the tension in Cullen’s face eased, he began to lean away from Dorian’s hand, when the mage slid his hand down to cup the Commander’s face a thumb caressing his cheek. Cullen’s breath hitched and he looked up into Dorian’s eyes.

Dorian’s heart raced. He hadn’t intended the caress. He usually was in far more control of himself, but being in such intimate proximity of Cullen challenged all his control.

They searched each other’s eyes and Dorian relaxed when he saw Cullen’s eyes soften as a small smile quirked on his lips.  Before he knew what was happening, Dorian felt himself being pulled down onto the bed next to Cullen and soon the Commander was snuggled up next to him, tucking his curly head under the mage’s chin.

Dorian smiled then as he put his arms around Cullen and ran his fingers through the man’s soft curls, while Cullen gave a contented sigh.

“Well this is unexpected,” Dorian said softly.

“Hush,” Cullen said. “Just hold me.”


End file.
